Knights vs. Dinosaurs

by Matt Phelan, Sam Devereaux (Read by)

Overview

An ALA Notable Title

“Absurdly entertaining. Victorious on all fronts.”—Booklist (starred review)

Renowned for their courage, their chivalry, and their ability to fight mythical creatures, the Knights of the Round Table must face their most dangerous opponents yet—DINOSAURS!

This heavily illustrated middle grade novel from award-winning author and artist Matt Phelan is a hilarious, rip-roaring tale of derring-do perfect for reluctant readers and fans of How to Train Your Dragon and The Terrible Two.

Let me tell you a secret about the Knights of the Round Table: they don’t have much to do. The realm is at peace and dragons are few and far between. So Merlin decides to send the knights out on a real adventure to a world filled with the most terrible lizards of all: DINOSAURS!

Knights vs. Dinosaurs is a highly illustrated, fast-paced adventure full of uproarious knightly hijinks, surprising secrets, and terrifying dinosaurs. With art on nearly every page, including an epic fight scene depicted in several graphic-novel style spreads, this engaging story is Monty Python for young middle school readers.

A great choice for reluctant readers, aspiring knights, and fans of Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot.

“This rollicking story is suspenseful and silly. An excellent choice for all readers.”—School Library Journal (starred review)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798874818081
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/23/2024
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

Matt Phelan is the author and illustrator of several novels for young readers, including the five books in the acclaimed Plum series, and Knights vs. Dinosaurs and its two sequels. Matt Phelan’s picture books include Sweater Weather, Turtle Walk, Pignic, and Druthers. He is also the creator of the graphic novels The Storm in the Barn (winner of a Scott O’Dell Award); Around the World; Bluffton; and the New York Times bestseller Snow White. Matt Phelan lives in Pennsylvania.

Matt Phelan is the author and illustrator of several novels for young readers, including the five books in the acclaimed Plum series, and Knights vs. Dinosaurs and its two sequels. Matt Phelan’s picture books include Sweater Weather, Turtle Walk, Pignic, and Druthers. He is also the creator of the graphic novels The Storm in the Barn (winner of a Scott O’Dell Award); Around the World; Bluffton; and the New York Times bestseller Snow White. Matt Phelan lives in Pennsylvania.

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/27/2018
In a highly illustrated chapter book, four braggart knights and one underappreciated squire square off against dinosaurs, all while learning about teamwork and honesty. Confronted with a dearth of foes in peacetime, Camelot’s lesser knights feel inclined to exaggerate the “battles with beasties, run-ins with rogue trolls, or fisticuffs with fierce giants” that they purport to engage in regularly. Sent back in time by Merlin for such embellishments, Sir Erec, Sir Hector, the mysterious Black Knight, and Sir Bors (and squire Mel) know as little about “terrible lizards” as they know about true feats of strength. Nevertheless, the team finds itself doing spectacular battle with numerous recognizable prehistoric beasts, complete with one-on-one bouts, team attacks, and rescue missions (tricera-joust, anyone?). Motion-filled art by Phelan (Snow White) depicts anachronisms side by side in standalone and sequential panels. And as the time-traveling knights try to fight their way back to their true place in time, plot twists reveal the heroes’ true identifiers, adding depth to this hilarious slapstick romp. Ages 8–12. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Whether jousting with a triceratops or facing down a T-rex, [squire] Mel should come with a halo: She’s thoughtful, sensitive, and wise. ...Drawn deftly, lightly.”   — New York Times Book Review

“All the glorious mashing and bashing leads to awesome feats aplenty. ...Phelan endows the all-white human cast with finely drawn, eloquently expressive faces but otherwise works in a loose, movement-filled style, pitting his clanking crew against an almost nonstop onslaught of toothy monsters...Epic—in plot, not length—and as wise and wonderful as Gerald Morris’ Arthurian exploits.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“This rollicking story is suspenseful and silly. . . .double-page, comic book-like spreads that even reluctant readers will enjoy. Themes of teamwork and feminism emerge, making this an excellent choice for all readers.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Catnip for kids...absurdly entertaining. ...Gender stereotypes and egos are challenged along with dinosaurs, giving readers a spectacular book that’s victorious on all fronts.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)

“In a highly illustrated chapter book, four braggart knights and one underappreciated squire off against dinosaurs, all while learning about teamwork and honesty. ...As the time-traveling knights try to fight their way back to their true place in time, plot twists reveal the heroes’ true identifiers, adding depth to this hilarious slapstick romp.”  — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Phelan crafts a lighthearted romp of an adventure sure to please readers looking for a chapter book full of both action and humor. ...Pen-and-ink spot art and full-page illustrations, as well as intermittent comic-style sequential art, bring the swordplay action to the forefront and keep the tone light enough for the book’s young audience.” — The Horn Book

“Comedic...Phelan’s black and white art moves effectively from goofy portraitures and spot illustrations to speedy panels and dramatic full spreads, matching the humor and/or action of the plot.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

From the Publisher

Comedic...Phelan’s black and white art moves effectively from goofy portraitures and spot illustrations to speedy panels and dramatic full spreads, matching the humor and/or action of the plot.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Catnip for kids...absurdly entertaining. ...Gender stereotypes and egos are challenged along with dinosaurs, giving readers a spectacular book that’s victorious on all fronts.

ALA Booklist (starred review)

Whether jousting with a triceratops or facing down a T-rex, [squire] Mel should come with a halo: She’s thoughtful, sensitive, and wise. ...Drawn deftly, lightly.”  

New York Times Book Review

Phelan crafts a lighthearted romp of an adventure sure to please readers looking for a chapter book full of both action and humor. ...Pen-and-ink spot art and full-page illustrations, as well as intermittent comic-style sequential art, bring the swordplay action to the forefront and keep the tone light enough for the book’s young audience.

The Horn Book

Comedic...Phelan’s black and white art moves effectively from goofy portraitures and spot illustrations to speedy panels and dramatic full spreads, matching the humor and/or action of the plot.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

★ 06/01/2018
Gr 3–6—The Knights of the Round Table share a secret: they spend most of their time fighting with each other for the fun of it because the kingdom has too few dragons to battle. To impress King Arthur, Sir Eric and the other knights embellish their tales. Merlin knows that the elaborate tales are too incredible, so he dangles a dangerous adventure in front of the knights. Of course, they take the bait. At the break of dawn, Sir Eric embarks on an escapade to face the most fearsome creature of all: the "Terrible Lizard." Not to be outdone, Sir Hector, Bors, and the Black Knight join the odyssey. This rollicking story is suspenseful and silly. The black-and-white pencil drawings add to the excitement and include double-page, comic book-like spreads that even reluctant readers will enjoy. VERDICT Themes of teamwork and feminism emerge, making this an excellent choice for all readers.—Annette Herbert, F.E. Smith Elementary School, Cortland, NY

School Library Journal

★ 2018-06-25
Who needs dragons when there are Terrible Lizards to be fought?Having recklessly boasted to King Arthur and the court that he'd slain 40 dragons, Sir Erec can hardly refuse when Merlin offers him more challenging foes…and so it is that in no time (so to speak), Erec, with bookish Sir Hector, the silent and enigmatic Black Knight, and blustering Sir Bors with his thin but doughty squire, Mel, in tow, are hewing away at fearsome creatures sporting natural armor and weapons every bit as effective as knightly ones. Happily, while all the glorious mashing and bashing leads to awesome feats aplenty—who would suspect that a ravening T. Rex could be decked by a well-placed punch to the jaw?—when the dust settles neither bloodshed nor permanent injury has been dealt to either side. Better yet, not even the stunning revelation that two of the Three Stooges-style bumblers aren't what they seem ("Anyone else here a girl?") keeps the questers from developing into a well-knit team capable of repeatedly saving one another's bacon. Phelan endows the all-white human cast with finely drawn, eloquently expressive faces but otherwise works in a loose, movement-filled style, pitting his clanking crew against an almost nonstop onslaught of toothy monsters in a monochrome mix of single scenes and occasional wordless sequential panels.Epic—in plot, not length—and as wise and wonderful as Gerald Morris' Arthurian exploits. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 9-11)

Kirkus Reviews